Skins of az



o i I gaunt .LOUIS CLOZEL, or GRENOBLE, FRANCE. Letters Patent No. 86,506, dated Februan'y 2, 18b9,

mnovnnmonn or 'IAWIRG same on humans.

The Schedule referred to in than Letters Patent and making part of thelame.

To all to whom it may concern:

, sists, I willhere explain the old method, viz:

The skins, after being steeped in pure water for several days, areplunged into a bath of lime, either ,pure, or mixed witha littlesulphide of arsenic or orpiment, and,

- after remaining therein for some time, they are withdrawn in acondition for shaving orhaving the hair re-, moved. After this latteroperation, they are again subjected to a water-hath, in which they areturned about, so as to remove, as much as possible, all foreignmatter.It is necessary that thewater for this purpose sh mld be as pure aspossible. and .it is consequently frequently changed. 7

After the washing, the skins are placed in bran-baths, and after a timethey are dressed, that is'to say, they. are steeped and stirred about ina mixture of water, corn, the yolk of 'eggs, alum, and seaesaltq Havingnow described the old, I will proceed to mention the new system, thefirst modification in'which consists in the employment of caustic potashor soda, sulphuret of sodium, or hypochlorite of potash or soda, knownunder the name of 'eau de jcoelle}? in place of the lime, for preparingthe skins for the removal of the hair. 7

'It is impossible to indicate the precise quantities of the ingredientsalluded to, as they must necessarily vary according to the nature of theskins to be operated on; nevertheless,1 commence always by putting theskins in'a solution of one of these substances, in the propor--' tion ofone-tenth part to one hundred pints of water. The potash or soda which Iprefer'to employ is caustic, or I make use of a caustic solution of thebefore-men tioned substances, decarbonizing, by means of lime, a,

l the carbonates of lime, I plunge the skins; and although this solutionis the best, it may be used without removing the carbonate of limeformed, or the excess of causticlime. The skins, after remaining four orfive days in this solution, are in a condition for having the hairremoved. This is performed on leaving the solution,

having previously plunged them ina simple water-bath, cdntaining fromone to three parts of sulphuric, nitric, chlorohydric, or acetieacid.This latter operation facilitates the removal of the hair. 7

- The employment of these acids by manufacturing dressers, who make useof lime-would be of great importance. Inthis special case sulphuricacid-must not 'portance, whether as regards th 1 baths, whereas, ifthe-hatchet. they could not have borne/them without atoo rapid. change,as they would become eaten before they could he used, as' the otheracids form solubles'with the filecomposed lime, and admit of the skinsbeing more readily dressed when. the hair is removed.

After leavingthe last-named bath, they are plunged into baths containinganimal or vegetable substances, capable of a rapid and specially putridfermentation, but not alcoholic, acetic, or lactic.

I compose \these'baths of matters either in a state I of putrefaction,or of animal or vegetable substances capable of rapidly becoming so. Igenerally make use ,of urine, either pure or mixed with water, accordingas I wish the putrefaction of the skins to take place more or lessrapidly; or, instead of urine, 1 can employ meat,blood, or water used inhemp-retting, This decomposition is communicated to the skins, whic renders them supple, the fatty matters saponifying by the action ofammoniacal salts, and the skins are more readily cleansed, the labor.being considerably reduced; When suificiently cleansed and softened, Iplace them in a bran or other-hmylaceous oath, after which they aredressed,'or,'in lieu ofthe simple bran-bath I can employ, in conjunctiontherewith, a solution 0. water and acetic acid.

The substitution of the caustic potash or soda, or of the substancesalready referred to, in place of thin lime, is of the utmost importance,as, for example, the lime or margarates of lime,almost insoluble;therefore it is only by a mechanical action that these elements can beremoved from the skins, and very frequently the li remains, in form ofcaustic or-carbonate of iime,--w

greatly impairs them. y

The substitution of the ingredie s before alluded to in place of thelime is, therefore ture, or of the quality of the s d it enables metoplunge the skins,a,as soon as are prepared; for the removal of thehair, into th putricl fermentation .remosedihyJime,

be properly cleansed.

It" is for this reason that the dressers are obliged to keep the skinsin water, and in summer time it is necessary that the water should be-aspure and changed asv often as possible. r v p Having discovered thattheskins treated by the old method, or water-bath system, do not retaintheirsiippleness, unlessby gentle fermentation, such ferme ta-,

tion beingless active when the water isless frequent changed, Iconceived the idea ofemploying liquidputr faction-baths, acting in areg-c1 "and iform mannei';

efattyimat on every part of the skin.-

apsremainin solu- 't ters become saponified, a th tionin the baths, andthe s ns at tain rapidly,'and rel i renders the skins brittle, uneven,and of a bad color. The length of timethe skins'are kept in the lime thecost'of the manufacture, the skins being more supple, and taking andretaining a brilliant dye. The

,timere'quired for the manufacture is also reduced,

whilst as regards the instruments and apparatus eniployed, they remainunchanged, as they are the same as those in present use.

I What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-'-.

The employment of caustic potash or soda solutions,

or other substances, as hereinbefore explained, for re moving the hair,and the use of the put-ridfermentation baths, not acid, as well as thebran-fermentation,

specially acid. w.

., L. OLOZEL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT I. DE ZEYK,

T. B. Gnnvnsr.

